


the cost of living

by jammingkambing



Category: Batman (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Gen, No proofreading we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jammingkambing/pseuds/jammingkambing
Summary: "This is your one-hundredth kill."There is a part of Jason's mind that questions, Am I disappointed or relieved?orJason and Bruce talk about taking lives.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Kudos: 60





	the cost of living

The dead man's name is Harry Roque. A Gazette obituary gives a couple of sentences about him: a lifelong pursuant of the art of journalism, Harry will forever be remembered by all the great publishers of the city. He is survived by his wife and father. His wake will be held there, and at that time. May he rest in peace.

Posts on social media verify the man's reputation. Some of the bigger and smaller names give their condolences to Harry, and these posts receive anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of likes. 

There are also posts that list articles of cases of alleged harassment. Roque's name is printed in the articles, and not as a byline. Those posts have around a couple dozen likes at most.

Roque's file in the GCPD is less ambivalent but still not quite damning. Around three charges of harassment from a couple years back, but he bailed himself out every time and never had a record since. But the file should be updated by morning. Or possibly the next night, considering the amount of evidence that Jason had managed to cram into the flash drive.

This should be the GCPD's file on Harry Roque, as soon as it was updated:

Twenty-seven confirmed counts of harassment. Twenty-one of child molestation. Five counts of--rape. There was also the matter of the hard drives of child porn that were badly concealed under Roque's desk. And the offshore bank accounts that were, ahem, invested in child trafficking rings.

His face is on the Batcomputer now. It's ordinary and dull next to the mugshots of Riddler and Killer Croc and Pyg, but, unlike those freaks, Roque's file has a red 'deceased' in the place where 'imprisoned' or 'free' would normally be.

Seeing that makes Jason stand firmer and shout louder.

"You telling me that I should have stood by? Let that maniac live so that he could keep on touching kids?"

He can feel the burning Lazarus at the back of his mind, but Jason knows himself, and he knows that the clench of his fists have nothing to do with the green rage.

"No, Jason. I'm saying that there were other options."

Jason laughs, and Bruce's scowl grows deeper.

"Wow. Okay. So. You want me to--what? Turn him in to the police just so he can get fifteen years and bail himself out before he can serve one?"

"We have lawyers for that. We have due process."

"Bullshit about due process! It's broken--"

"--and even if it's broken, it's somebody's inalienable right, Jason!"

"It's also a child's inalienable right to not get fucking violated!"

Jason is tempted to bring up all of the other rights that the Rogues have violated--and he could make Bruce kiss the ground before the end of the night, if he brought up the death toll or the injuries--but Jason also sees now, in this moment of quiet between words, that Bruce would let him do it.

"Bruce. You know everything I'm telling you is true. You know you can't stop me, the same way you can't stop Midnighter. Or Diana, d'you ever think about that? So why the fuck have you brought me in now?"

Bruce turns to the Batcomputer, and in that smooth swivel, Jason knows that there is a second in which he lingers on the case, and reads the second Robin's epitaph, and knows it to to be true.

Then the Batcomputer's monitor lights up with the red names of the deceased. Jason recognizes all of the names.

"This is your one-hundredth kill."

There is a part of Jason's mind that questions, Am I disappointed or relieved?

Bruce continues: "There is a difference between the first and the fifth kill. The fifth and the tenth. The tenth and the one-hundredth. After that first hundred, the numbers start to trickle away... then you can't remember which thousand you're in."

Jason's not a fool. He doesn't have enough faith in himself to be a fool--all self-righteous and infallible in his morality. He could never be the Joker, but Jason knows he isn't that far from Slade Wilson. There's just the one difference.

"It's for the mission, Bruce. I don't want to kill, but I have to."

"You shouldn't have to, Jason," and Bruce's voice is broken.

"There will be a time when you can't look at yourself without wanting to claw your eyes out. You'll look at the ones you love, and you'll think, I don't deserve to love them. And every dark corner of your mind will be filled with the damned spot that you can't get rid of."

"Speaking from experience, old man?" 

Bruce doesn't answer. 

"I know what the mission costs, Bruce."

"It should never cost you."

"I've paid once; I don't mind paying whatever's left."

In his head, he chants, Harry Roque, Harry Roque, as he leaves. It's the only thing that stops him from looking back at Bruce and his pained gaze, but the dead man's name does nothing to calm the trembling of his hands.

**Author's Note:**

> i got this out in an hour-long fit of justified anger. jason todd pls dont kill me huhu


End file.
